Lawrence sit up from his bed, his movements still groggy as he rubbed his eyes to wake up a little bit better, his hair dishelved and messy.
He got up from bed and started combing it to tame them like every other morning, it was pretty easy to do for him, as finished combing it someone knocked on the door.
After a few seconds Lloyd entered the room, "young master you are up already... I'll help you prepare" he said calmly as he walked towards Lawrence.
"Thanks Lloyd" Lawrence replied Innocently as he took out some accessories and Lloyd prepared his clothes.
He watched what clothes Lloyd chose, a poet shirt and a black jacket, some black dress pants and a pair of matching black shoes, Lawrence chose to combine the clothes with a pair of silver cufflinks with flower motives and a bronze ring on his right pinky.
As he undressed himself his pale gracile body seemed to glow by the light of the lanterns on the ceiling, Lloyd let him put on his pants and shirt before going to help him put on his jacket and shoes.
As they exited his room he greeted two butlers that were cleaning nearby, "Nicholas Tom how are you?" Lawrence questioned innocently as he approached the two butlers.
Nicholas was big darker skin than most people but still light, he had brown hair and hazel eyes "all good young master thank you" he greeted back with a polite smile and a slight bow.
Tom was smaller, not small like Lawrence just shorter than Nicholas with black hair and green eyes, his skin was lighter than Nicholas and he had more muscles or at least more defined, "Yes all good young master thanks for asking" he echoed Nicholas before they both returned to their duties.
He walked inside the corridors for a while, he was followed by Lloyd like every morning, he arrived at the dining room the table was set for one... it was a bit melancholic for him compared to when he lived at Helios City with his family... but he was needed here for his projects.
He sat down, and a butler gave him some breads some fried eggs and a sausage, he thanked than ate quietly.
After breakfast he went back inside the inner part of the mansion, he went towards a pair of birch doors with brass handles, he opened it revealing a giant library filled with bookshelves holding books of various topics.
He explored that place like many other times before, the books were all things he wanted to learn... but today study was on essence, so he went to that section of the library.
'Basics Of Essence manipulation'
'Essence types and tricks'
'Essence Theories'
'Advanced Essence manipulation'
These except the last were all books he read, then he took out one in between the intermediate and basic level, the book was called.
'Study of external essence use', it was a book needed for lantern holders types like his, external manipulation was necessary for every type of lantern holder since from supporting to attacking everything they did was based on using Essence outside their bodies.
He took the book and went towards a reading chair to sit down, "Lloyd, please inform me when it's time for Ms.Blackthorn arrival for the rest I'll study till 9" he said innocently as Lloyd nodded and went outside the library.
The book was a long read, even if it was fairly simple concepts, but it used big words, in the end even if the author was a famous one in this camp this book used a lot of technical terms and things that someone who had learned only the basic without real experience couldn't comprehend.
As he read Lawrence simplified and summarized the concepts like he did many times while reading.
The concepts that he summarized from the book were the following:
'Every person's Essence lose more of their owner connection the more time it passes outside the body, to counter it one must strengthen their connection by recalling to them the Essence every half an hour, the higher the rank of the person the higher amount of time the can leave it out, the blue stars add five minutes each, the green stars add a quarter of an hour each, the yellow stars add half an hour each, and the orange stars add an hour each.'
'When you manipulate Essence outside your body you need to maintain concentration, the less concentration you have on Essence the more volatile it will be, in the end if you try to divide yourself too much you'll just loose Essence at a high rate.'
This where the two most basic examples of the concepts, it gave a concentration based training at the end of the book, 'Meditate, then visualize, all in silent.' Lawrence read this and was found that in the end this book... was just a reimmagining of the basic.
'I'll tell father' he thought before going to put the book away back in it's shelf and take another one.
But as he took the book Lloyd entered in the library, "Young Master Ms.Blackthorn arrived" Lloyd said leaving Lawrence stunned for a few micro seconds... did he really get that slow at reading books? He couldn't think of it now he sighed and followed Lloyd out the library to where Evelyn was.
She was in the living room waiting for him, her usual usual Brown hair were tied in a high ponytail, her light yellow eyes were looking around the living room more curiously, she was dressed in more comfortable clothes, some flexible pants and a shirt that covered her body till under the neck and the elbows, over it a small jacket.
As she saw him her eyes examined him curiously and after seeing he was fully clothed from who knows how much she looked a bit puzzled.
"Did you think I wouldn't still be in my pjamas?" Lawrence joked innocently at Evelyn who sighed then looked at him.
"You are still a 16 year old... why are you dressed as an office man first thing in the morning?" Evelyn rebutted calmly as she stepped closer still looking over him.
"I have responsibilities in fact Lloyd dud we get mail?" Lawrence answered innocently before turning to Lloyd.
"Yes we've received an invitation to a tea party next week and a notice of some trainee knights of the family passing by this town before going to Hecate's town to reach young lady Alice, the lord wishes for you to surveillance their stay and prepare accordingly" Lloyd explained calmly to Lawrence.
"Did the notice say the time of arrival and how many they are?" Lawrence questioned innocently as he put an hand to his chin and thought of where to allocate them in town.
"They are a group of seven and are arriving in two weeks before staying to rest for three days and depart the fourth day morning" Lloyd answered calmly as he looked at the young master with his gaze slightly shifting to the stunned Evelyn.
"Why would a noble not even of age need to take care of this things?" She questioned bitterly as her gaze wandered between the two boys.
Lawrence looked at Evelyn hesitant to reply but Lloyd didn't have him time to do it, "the young master despite not being considered a possible archduke from the other nobles has the most talent, but being weak of health and the second youngest child means he's got it harder so he accepted to be in charge of these things at Luxer city till he's become of age" Lloyd answered like a practiced response studied and trained for weeks.
"He's a child he shouldn't be made a pawn in politics" Evely retorted maintaning a poker face.
"He's not a pawn the Floro family would never treat a member like a mere pawn" Lloyd rebutted annoyed as he stood between Lawrence and Evelyn.
"Stop it the both of you, we have work to do Lloyd prepare the seals and the stamps we have to go out, Ms.Evelyn you just keep people at the right distance" Lawrence scolded then quietly before waiting for Lloyd to go to fetch the things he said.
As Lloyd hurried to get his things Lawrence looked at Evelyn, his mismatched eyes scrutinizing her before sighing.
"You should know it that a kid like you shouldn't be handling an archducal family affairs but enjoying life" Evelyn scoffed before walking towards the door to wait.
"If only it was this simple..." Lawrence mumbled as he saw Lloyd arriving with a briefcase with everything Lawrence asked.
Soon they got out the door to start the work they had to do.